Italia

Italia was a region of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire which corresponded to the present-day country of Italy, with Rome historically serving as its capital (later moved to Mediolanium and Ravenna). In Roman mythology, Italia was the new home promised by Zeus to the Trojan prince Aeneas and his descendants, ancestors of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. In 509 BC, the Etruscan Roman Kingdom was overthrown by the patricians of the city, who established the Roman Republic. The Republic formed an association with local tribes and cities and gradually came to either annex, absorb, or conquer their neighbors, including the Etruscans in the center, the Greeks of Magna Graecia in the south, and the Celts in the north. The Romans also conquered Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica from Carthage and its allies during the Punic Wars, and all of the non-Roman peoples were defeated and granted Roman citizenship following the end of the Social War in 88 BC, unifying present-day Italy under Roman rule. Italia became the wealthiest Roman province, as it was the Roman homeland, and it became known as "Queen of the World" and "Motherland of All Lands". The Crisis of the Third Century led to the devastation and decline of Italia, as the eastern provinces became more prosperous. In 292 AD, Emperor Diocletian added Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta to the region of Italia, and Mediolanium and Ravenna continued to serve as the Western Roman Empire's capitals. Italia was invaded by barbarians several times, resulting in the Herulian mercenary Odoacer's deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476. In the sixth century, the Byzantine Empire reconquered much of Italy, while the Germanic tribes occupied the north; Italy would remain divided until 1861, when it was reunited by the Kingdom of Italy.